Tohu Awatere Valley Marlborough Riesling 2024

Description

Apple, Floral, Off-dry

"Offering fabulous fruit purity and poise, the wine shows white flesh nectarine, lemon sorbet and lime cordial nuances, leading to a finely flowing palate that's juicy and lively. Pristine and linear with a persistent, mouth-watering finish. Style: Off-dry, At its best: 2026 to 2034" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jul 2024

"A delicious wine with a core of flowers and apples, some lemon and other citrus flavours, mandarin and some lime flower qualities. Crisp, off-dry a soft creamy texture with a lick of CO2 spritz from recent bottle - I hope this quality stays in the wine for a long time. High acidity contrast a the residual sweetness that also touches the palate. Well made, lengthy and delicious. Best drinking from day of purchase through 2033+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Nov 2024

This bright and crisp Riesling displays aromas of citrus zest and green apple with hints of spring florals, leading to a palate of mouth-filling lemon, lime, and white peach. Structured with abundant natural acidity and mineral notes, this fresh and vibrant Riesling is lively and fruit-forward in its youth and will continue to develop over the years with careful cellaring.

The grapes for this wine were grown in the Puketapu block of our Whenua Awa vineyard. Located in the upper Awatere Valley, Whenua Awa is characterised by stony, free draining river terraces and a long, cool growing season. The 2023/2024 growing season began with a cool spring and frosty conditions over the flowering period which resulted in lower than average yields. Low crop levels combined with a remarkably hot and dry summer provided a dream run for both the vineyard and winemaking teams.

Carefully harvested grapes were pressed as soon as they arrived at the winery using our modern membrane press. The bright, clear free-run juice was kept separate from the hard pressings for fermentation, with the ferment carried out in small tanks and at cool temperatures to capture aromatics and freshness. Once fermentation was complete the wine was racked off yeast lees and left in tank for a short period allowing flavour compounds to develop and integrate. The wine was then readied for an early bottling to secure the freshness and vibrancy of the wine in mid-June 2024.